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From Palm Sunday to Ash Wednesday and Back Again

The Rev. Marissa Becklin

Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust

Every year on Shrove Tuesday I begin my day with an annual ritual: burning last year’s leftover Palm Sunday branches in order to make ashes for the beginning of our Lenten journey as a congregation. There is so much powerful symbolism in this ritual, and as we continue our Lenten journey together this year I want to invite you into this holy act that marked the beginning of our repentant season.


These branches were, on Palm Sunday 2023 (Sunday, April 2), bright green and fragrant. They were grown last year in the forests of Guatemala and Mexico, and were sustainably harvested in a manner that protects the valuable natural forests and forest communities in these countries. Those who gathered these branches were fairly compensated for their work, so that they are able to provide well for their families. After being shipped to our congregation, they were cared for throughout the week by being kept in water and in a dark, cool place.


As we gathered for Worship on April 2, we prayed God’s blessing on these branches:

"Bless these branches and those who carry them. Grant us grace to follow our Lord in the way of the cross, so that, joined to his death and resurrection, we enter into life with you; through the same Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever."


As we waved our branches and sang “All Glory, Laud, and Honor”, we followed behind Jackson Lesher as he carried the cross into our Sanctuary. We then moved into the reading of the Passion story, and prepared our hearts and minds for Holy Week.


The leftover palms from that day were stored in a box, and kept to dry. As our lives continued throughout the year, we all experienced the full range of human life–joy and sorrow, good news and tragedy, newness and death. We accompanied Christ to the cross many times throughout the months that followed last Easter, both individually and as a congregation. Through it all we clung to the promise of resurrection, and trusted that as we cried “Hosanna”, which translates to “save us”, Jesus heard us.


When I pulled out these dried palms on Shrove Tuesday this year, this is what I was reminded of. These palm branches carry so many stories–their growth in the forests of Central America, their harvesting and the hands that cared for them before us, the blessing of God, the representation of Christ’s triumph and passion, the hope of resurrection, the reality of human life and the passage of time. As I stood in my driveway and stripped the leaves into a galvanized bucket, I said this prayer:

Merciful God, you called us from the dust of the earth, and claimed us for Christ in the waters of Baptism. We give thanks for these palms, that in their life drew life from the earth and gave it back to our air and the animals they hosted and sheltered. We give thanks that in the Worship of our community, they helped us offer festive joy. Now, as these palms are reduced to ashes for use as we begin our Lenten pilgrimage, we pray they will serve as a sign of our mortality and your power to save. May we recognize your love at work in us throughout the holy season before us, replanting our lives in the sure and humble soil of your truth and grace, so we may once again greet the Christian Passover with joy and gladness. Amen.


After cooling and processing the ash from these branches, they were mixed with olive oil, blessed in Worship, and traced on your foreheads as a sign of God’s power to save in the face of death. That Ash Wednesday ritual carries us through to Palm Sunday, March 24, 2024, when we will begin again the cycle of the story of God’s hope and love. Blessings on your Lenten journey, dear ones.


In Christ's love,


Pastor Marissa

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What is Youth Gathering, Anyway?

By The Rev. Marissa Becklin • October 15, 2024
As I prepare to travel with three of our youth from Faith United to the ELCA Youth Gathering in New Orleans this July 15th, I wanted to take some time to tell you about what Youth Gathering actually is–and why I am so passionate about it as a pastor. The ELCA Youth Gathering is an extraordinary event that brings together thousands of Lutheran youth from across the country for a week of faith, fellowship, and service. It happens every three years, and is organized by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) for high school youth, adult leaders, and volunteers. The Gathering aims to provide an opportunity for young people to deepen their faith, engage in meaningful discussions, and connect with peers who share their Lutheran identity. So, what exactly happens at the ELCA Youth Gathering? Picture this: thousands of youth and adult leaders converging in a host city for a week-long experience filled with worship, Bible study, workshops, and service projects. The Gathering is structured around a central theme that guides all activities and discussions, allowing participants to explore relevant topics and issues in light of their faith. This year’s theme is “Created to Be”, and the host city is New Orleans, Louisiana. One of the most impactful aspects of the Gathering is its emphasis on service and social justice. Participants have the opportunity to engage in hands-on service projects within the local community, addressing issues such as hunger, homelessness, environmental stewardship, and racial justice. These service experiences not only make a tangible difference in the lives of those served but also challenge participants to live out their faith in practical ways. The Gathering took place in New Orleans in 2009 and 2012 as well, and played a big role in the city’s recovery from Hurricane Katrina. In 2018 it was in Houston, right after Hurricane Harvey went through the previous year, and most of the service done that year was hurricane cleanup. In addition to service, the Gathering provides a space for worship and spiritual growth. Each day begins and ends with powerful worship experiences, featuring dynamic speakers, inspiring music, and opportunities for reflection and prayer. Through these worship gatherings, youth are encouraged to encounter God in new and meaningful ways and to deepen their relationship with Christ. But perhaps the most significant aspect of the Gathering is the sense of community and belonging that participants experience. For many youth, the Gathering is a chance to connect with peers from different backgrounds and cultures, forming friendships that last a lifetime. It's a place where youth can be themselves, ask tough questions, and explore their faith in a supportive and affirming environment. The ELCA Youth Gathering is more than just a conference—it's a transformative experience that equips young people to live out their faith in the world. It's an opportunity to encounter God, serve others, and build meaningful relationships with peers who share a common Lutheran heritage. I’m passionate about the Gathering because I attended as a high schooler, and I got to experience the feeling of being surrounded by thousands of other teens from across the United States who were Lutheran and were proud of that fact. It would be hard to overemphasize how important it is for young people (especially in today’s more secular society) to experience that community, and that space of pride and joy in one’s faith. The Gathering made me think about myself and my role in the church in a different way, and it was on the bus back to Iowa that I first wondered if I might feel called to be a pastor someday. This will be (I hope) a life-changing event for Lily, Haley, and Gabby. Please pray for them in these months as we prepare to head out, and please be ready to ask them questions about their experience when they get back. Lastly, thank you for your generous support of this trip for them–the Gathering is not inexpensive, but it is worth it, and your financial support makes this experience possible for them. Thank you for helping them feel valued by you in this way. In Christ’s Love, Pastor Marissa

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Navigating The Media Landscape

By The Rev. Marissa Becklin • July 1, 2024
In a world inundated with media messages clamoring for our attention, it is essential for us as Christians to approach our consumption of media with discernment and wisdom. Just as we seek guidance and direction in our daily lives through prayer and scripture, so too should we turn to God in prayer before engaging with the various forms of media that surround us–be they television, radio, print, film, social media, podcasts, etc. The words and opinions of this world are human, not holy, and we do well (especially as we approach the media onslaught before an election this fall) to ask for God’s guidance, peace, and wisdom as we wade through it all. Below I am sharing with you a “Liturgy for Before Consuming Media”. I invite you to tear this out of your print newsletter or pick up a copy at church in the back of the Sanctuary, so that you can put it on your fridge or somewhere in your home as a guide for prayer over the next number of months. Prayer is a habit that we develop and build, and at first it will feel strange to stop and pray before every time you open your phone to scroll the news or Facebook, or every time you turn on the TV or radio, or open the newspaper. In time, I hope that this habit becomes natural to you, and that you become comfortable enough with the prayer that you don’t need to lean on the words of this liturgy anymore–I hope that you’ll develop your own short prayer that works for you. The truth is that there are SO many words, opinions, angry messages, and fights out there vying for our attention. Our country is quite polarized right now, and our political parties (all of them) benefit from us feeling afraid and angry, because those feelings motivate us. God calls us away from these feelings, though, and invites us instead into a position of prayerful peace. We cannot listen to the still, small voice of God guiding us if we are shouting, or if our ears are ringing with fear and rage. God is with us, beloved. Always. And God is accompanying us through these months ahead, calling us to patience, curiosity, and to the task of listening to God and one another. May we be guided by the Holy Spirit to discern that which is true, noble and uplifting, and to recognize and reject that which is deceitful or harmful. A Liturgy Before Consuming Media O Discerning Spirit, who alone judges all things rightly, now be present in my mind and active in my imagination as I prepare to engage with the claims and questions of broken human beings. Shape my vision by yours, and tutor me, Holy Spirit, that I might learn to discern the difference between those stories that are whole, echoing the greater narrative of your redemption, and those that are bent or broken, failing to trace accurately the patterns of your eternal thoughts and so failing to name rightly the true condition of humanity and all of creation. Grant me wisdom to divide rightly. Bless me with the great discernment to be able to celebrate the stamp of your divine image. Guard my mind against the old enticement to believe a lie simply because it is beautifully told. Let me not be careless. Give me right conviction to judge my own motives in that which I approve, teaching me to be always mindful of that which I consume, and thoughtful of the ways in which I consume it. Impart to me keener knowledge of the limits of my own heart in light of my own particular brokenness, that I might choose what would be for my flourishing and not for my harm. Let my own freedoms in Christ never be flaunted or exercised in such a way as to give cause for confusion, temptation, or stumbling in others. May the stories I partake of, and the ways in which I engage with them, make me in the end a more empathetic Christ-bearer, more compassionate, more aware of my own brokenness and need for grace, better able to understand the hopes and fears and failings of my fellow humans, so that I might more authentically live and learn and love among them unto the end that all of our many stories might be more beautifully woven into your own greater story. Amen. From A Liturgy Before Consuming Media Found in Every Moment Holy Volume 1 In Christ’s Love, Pastor Marissa
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